Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has assured the State Government that Air India would begin direct flights from New Delhi to Imphal by first week of April, 2018.
The CM was speaking at the inaugural function of third International Convention of Service Industry NER(I)-ASEAN FOCUS CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam) held in an Imphal hotel.
The government is trying to acquire 100 acres of land near Tengnoupal area in Imphal-Moreh road for the construction of a resort to attract more tourists. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allocated funds for the construction of 39 big culverts in the areas of Indo-Myanmar border. N Biren Singh informed that he along with the CM of Sagaing Region, Myanmar would jointly inaugurate the culverts.
As Manipur is the gateway to South East Asian countries, he maintained that we should make Manipur an important location because the routes will be shortened to connect the South East Asian countries.
Addressing the function Ambassador Moe Kyan Aung of Union of Myanmar to India, said that there is a need to increase the air connectivity between the two countries such as direct flights from Imphal to Rangoon etc.
Free flow of trade, goods and services would strengthen the commercial and economic relationship between various ASEAN countries, he added. He also maintained that Northeast India is a geo-strategic region for connecting to the South East Asian countries.
Joint Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey of Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dr J Suresh Babu, Director General Dr Gulshan Sharma of International Chamber of Service Industry, Vice Chairman M Asnikumar of Manipur Infrastructure Development Agency (MIDA), Head of India-SriLanka and Nepal Fly Dubai Pran Dasan, Head of Operations Media Entertainment Industry Mohit Soni and others attended the Convention.
The convention is being organized under the theme “Tapping Potential of Services Sector Catering to Domestic and International Demands” by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, International of Chamber for Service Industry and MIDA.